Long Beach, Memorial Day, pre-Beryl

Nothing initiates summer for us quite like a beach trip, and this year we headed back to Long Beach for the umpteenth time. Subtropical storm Beryl was hanging around south of here, doing some very odd storm stuff, so we kept an eye on it (or, we checked various weather websites to try and figure out what the heck it was doing). Beryl left us untouched until late Tuesday night, but here's some photos of our pre-Beryl fun:

Looking west down the beach; vision partially obstructed by a can of Tecate.

Sitting in the surf, watching the wheels go by. I just love to watch them roll.

Barrie's feet in the ocean.

High winds blowing sand. Some slight leg sandblasting was endured.

Fun in the surf with our friends Mark & Cindy.

Barrie and Cindy guffaw.

Down at the point at low tide.

Big clouds hovered over the land for days.

These laughing gulls were chattering away as we walked by.

Our abode for the week.

 

I came in through the bathroom window: staycation and home improvements

A week of home-bound staycation was highlighted by a new bathroom window! We enlisted the services of Sean & Andrew at Slate Creek Builders, and they did excellent work.

Andrew removes the sheet rock in the bathroom.

Light peeks in the new orifice. A ladder was in transition when this photo was taken.

Andrew and Sean replacing the siding.

Let there be light! It's an eastern facing window and the morning light is quite nice.

While I was at home during the window installation, I called the power company to come and remove a long-unused light pole in our backyard. Here they are taking it down:

They were very careful about not stomping on Mom's hydrangeas.

While construction counted for several days of my staycation, I did manage to have some fun otherwise.  Asta, of course, was ready to romp at any time. Here she is in the morning light:

Note my nicely backlit tail.

Barrie and I explored a wonderful trail at the Nature Conservancy's Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve. There are a number of late 19th-early 20th century homesteads throughout the Preserve, which means you stumble upon rusted iron bed frames in the woods:

Nap time!

One of the trails leads to an overlook that looks across the gorge to Bent Mountain Falls:

Bent Mountain Falls

Barrie on the trail.

Back home in the backyard.

A nice beverage in the backyard.  Hello summer!

April 1st at Fall's Ridge

We visited Fall's Ridge Nature Preserve on Sunday afternoon to take in the wildflowers. I've written about Fall's Ridge Preserve before -- it's a great place for an afternoon walk, and it's a very short drive from Blacksburg. The flowers were particularly nice on this early spring afternoon.

Walking up the field from the parking area.

Redbud, up close.

Kiln through some big ol' vines.

Trillium!

Columbine

Mega trillium!

Rue Anemone

Upstream from the falls.

Slight cascades, upstream from the falls

Looking down the falls with a hillside of trillium on the left

Barrie views the falls from the observation deck

Another photo of the kiln

Heading back, looking down the valley

Note on the photos:  taken with a Panasonic DMC-TS3 on "vivid" setting.

Sepia Ides of March

Some sepia toned photos of the Ides of March, at home and work.

Coffee

More coffee!

Asta in the morning

Some time on the elliptical

Waning moon through the trees

Flying pig

At work on a coal and labor collection

Coal and labor collection

Manuscripts work table in my office

My much beloved office rocking chair.

Norfolk pine, microfilm, students.

Science building courtyard as seen from the library


All photos taken March 15, 2012 with a Panasonic G3 camera in sepia mode using a Panasonic 20mm 1.7 lens, post processing with the iPad app Snapseed.

Spring photos (prelude by Delmore Schwartz)

The Spring  

by Delmore Schwartz  

(After Rilke)

Spring has returned! Everything has returned!
The earth, just like a schoolgirl, memorizes
Poems, so many poems. ... Look, she has learned
So many famous poems, she has earned so many prizes!

Teacher was strict. We delighted in the white
Of the old man's beard, bright like the snow's:
Now we may ask which names are wrong, or right
For "blue," for "apple," for "ripe." She knows, she knows!

Lucky earth, let out of school, now you must play
Hide-and-seek with all the children every day:
You must hide that we may seek you: we will! We will!

The happiest child will hold you. She knows all the things
You taught her: the word for "hope," and for "believe,"
Are still upon her tongue. She sings and sings and sings.

Daffodil in the snow

View from my study window earlier this week.

Flocks of robins have filled the trees lately.

And even more robins. These are catching the evening sun just before sunset.

The early flowers are coming out in the yard.

These cardinals were in the neighbor's trees.

....until I startled them, when the male flew away. 

Speaking of spring as an awakening, I'll introduce the last photo with a poem about coffee by Karen Suriano, from the website CocoaJava- Coffee Poetry

before first sip, much was maligned
but after, my outlook is realigned

Grasping for the coffee cup, early in the morning.